Ex-Holtec CFO's Atty Asks Jury To Think Like 'Judge Judy'

By George Woolston

Counsel for the former chief financial officer of nuclear services company Holtec International told jurors Tuesday to use common sense when evaluating the credibility of witnesses who testified in the two-week trial on his client's whistleblower claim, quoting the star of TV's "Judge Judy."

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NJ Panel Revives Hill Wallack Malpractice Suit

By Rose Krebs

A New Jersey state appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that a trial court must rethink its dismissal of a suit accusing Hill Wallack LLP of mishandling the defense of a family facing labor trafficking allegations, saying a more detailed record is needed to establish whether discovery responses were deficient.

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Liberty Mutual Escapes Spyware Class Claims

By Matthew Santoni

A website wiretapping lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Insurance was thrown out for lack of standing Tuesday, after a Pennsylvania federal judge found the proposed lead plaintiff hadn't claimed any sensitive, personal information had been captured by software on the insurer's website recording his browsing.

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States' Suit Over Trump Energy EO Sparks Broader Questions

By Rachel Riley

A Washington federal judge considering the Trump administration's bid to dismiss a multistate challenge to an executive order declaring a national energy emergency said Tuesday that the case highlights a broader dilemma: how courts should handle litigation based on "a single executive directive that sets in motion hundreds of agency decisions."  

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3rd Circ. Seems Open To Drexel's Bid For New Pay Bias Trial

By Vin Gurrieri

The Third Circuit seemed receptive Tuesday to Drexel University's bid for a new trial in a professor's pay discrimination suit, with the judges hinting a trial court may have gone too far by imposing Equal Pay Act liability on the school for not complying with an order to turn over salary information.

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6 Firms Advise On Prudential's $4B Brazil, Mexico Sale

By Al Barbarino

Prudential Financial Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its businesses in Brazil and Mexico to French insurer CNP Assurances Group for $4.03 billion in cash, with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP among six international law firms advising on the deal.

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Squires Grants 10 Patent Review Bids, Rejects 2 Others

By Ryan Davis

In his latest round of decisions, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has granted 10 petitions seeking review of patents and denied two others, both on discretionary grounds.

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AGs' Paramount Settlement Reflects States' Growing Influence

The recent California federal court approval of the California v. Paramount Skydance settlement illustrates how state attorneys general are gaining new independence and influence, and companies must account for state enforcement when assessing merger risks ahead of a deal's closing, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

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Dissecting Dodd's, Gensler's Prediction Market Amicus Briefs

Former Sen. Chris Dodd and former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler's recent amicus briefs in support of New Jersey's petition for U.S. Supreme Court review of Kalshi v. Flaherty draw on legislative history to counter the CFTC's claim of federal preemption over the prediction markets, says Trace Schmeltz at Steptoe.

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Kagan: High Court 'Blinded Itself' To Election Ruling Effects

By Katie Buehler

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan criticized her conservative colleagues' approach to deciding election law cases Tuesday, saying they often rule without considering the real-world consequences of their decisions. 

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Retired Judges Say DOJ's Ethics Complaint Is Meritless

By Courtney Bublé

A coalition of 61 retired federal judges has admonished the U.S. Department of Justice for filing a complaint against federal judges in Minnesota for speaking to a newspaper about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in their state.

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Polsinelli Seeks Sanctions For 'Knowingly False' IP Suit

By Elliot Weld

Law firm Polsinelli PC has asked a Tennessee federal judge to sanction a medical device company for advancing what it says were "knowingly false and materially incomplete" positions in a suit accusing the firm of pursuing bad faith patent infringement claims on behalf of a client.

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'Petulant' Attorney Behavior Requires New Trial, 5th Circ. Says

By Cara Salvatore

The Fifth Circuit ordered a new trial Friday for a woman who was halted while speaking at a Louisiana local council meeting, saying defense lawyers for two council members threw "a skunk into the jury box" with a bevy of improper maneuvers.

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Feds Offer Up-Front Payments For Fraud Whistleblower Tips

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced the creation of a whistleblower incentive program offering up-front monetary awards for tips that lead to criminal fraud charges.

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Atty Used Legal Cred To Prop Up Ponzi Schemes, DOJ Says

By David Aaro

A Florida attorney was arrested Tuesday on charges of using his legal bona fides to help run two Ponzi schemes that swindled investors out of nearly $2 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Ex-NOLA Injury Atty Gets 32 Months For Staging Crashes

By Christine DeRosa

A former New Orleans personal injury attorney has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fake vehicle accidents with tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles so he could pursue lawsuits and extract settlements.

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